ON SECOND THOUGHT

04.10.14

Brandeis Cancels Hirsi Ali Degree

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Somali-born Ayaan Hirsi Ali, an award-winning author and outspoken critic of Islam, will no longer be given an honorary degree by Brandeis University. Ali, who survived civil war in Somalia, genital mutilation, beatings, and an arranged marriage, has written in the past that, “Once it’s defeated, it can mutate into something peaceful. It’s very difficult to even talk about peace now. They’re not interested in peace. I think that we are at war with Islam. And there’s no middle ground in wars.” The Massachusetts college says it was not aware of her past comments on Islam, but now that it is, it will withdraw the award it planned to give her at commencement. “We cannot overlook certain of her past statements that are inconsistent with Brandeis University’s core values," it said.